Best current Test XI - draft selection

[H_T 2,941]

Technically I didn't name names.

Nonetheless, the bottom of the barrell hasn't been reached yet re: NZ. (Can I say that?)

Want to judge at the end, Nasher?

[Scipio 5,868]

We may be thinking of the same couple of gems....

I just want to say I hope your gem is Tino Best of the West Indies.

[H_T 2,941]

I just want to say I hope your gem is Tino Best of the West Indies.

Name change?

the passenger = Django

titan, your picks.....

[Rogue 585]

Titan is trying to figure out who Nasher was referring to.

[Scipio 5,868]

Name change?the passenger = Djangotitan, your picks.....

Yeah Tarantino's latest was so good it inspired a name change! Sorry for the timing guys

[Biffen 12,372]

No prolems, Biffen. Solid Pakistani choice.

I

If only our footballers were as competitive as some of you blokes.

An endless run of flags would ensue ...

Who are the 'mystery' adjudicators? And can they be 'influenced'? Can gifts be given 'a la' the IOC ?

Macca-I am perfoming under non- performance enhancing drugs such as beer, smokes and lethargy.

[45HG 1,539]

Good to see it's been taken in the spirit it was given, well done lads.

Except for you, HT.

I was being serious about you.

[titan_uranus 22,566]

Titan is trying to figure out who Nasher was referring to.

Indeed. But I've only been doing that for 2 minutes. Have been at work all day, but work is over now for a while, so I'll have more time to think. I'll consider my options and decide tonight.

[45HG 1,539]

Who he means I had last time, so Nasher's a mountain of months behind...

[Macca 16,173]

I

Macca-I am perfoming under non- performance enhancing drugs such as beer, smokes and lethargy.

The last 2 rounds could make for some interesting choices, Biff.

Comments such as "He hasn't played for years" or "Who's that?" or perhaps even "You can't have any more South Africans!"

Punter and Mr Cricket may be forced out of retirement. Warnie? :-)

[titan_uranus 22,566]

Round 7, Pick 56 - Ian Bell (England)

Round 8, Pick 57 - Tim Southee (New Zealand) Jackson Bird (Australia)

Hope Southee's the Kiwi Nasher was referring to. He's playing some good cricket at the moment, to be honest. 20 wickets in his last three tests, all away in the subcontinent. Given what's left out there, and that I need someone from NZ, I'll take it. Bell is in the top 20 batsmen according to rankings, so that's not a bad get 56 picks into the draft, I'd say.

Edited February 7, 2013 by titan_uranus

[Rogue 585]

Round 7, Pick 56 - Ian Bell (England)

Round 8, Pick 57 - Tim Southee (New Zealand)

Hope Southee's the Kiwi Nasher was referring to. He's playing some good cricket at the moment, to be honest. 20 wickets in his last three tests, all away in the subcontinent. Given what's left out there, and that I need someone from NZ, I'll take it. Bell is in the top 20 batsmen according to rankings, so that's not a bad get 56 picks into the draft, I'd say.

I was wondering when Bell would go. I wasn't very keen because his recent form is pretty poor, but he's not a bad get at this late stage and I would have considered him before the end of the draft.

Unfortunately Southee is already gone, though. (I also PM'd titan).

[titan_uranus 22,566]

I was wondering when Bell would go. I wasn't very keen because his recent form is pretty poor, but he's not a bad get at this late stage and I would have considered him before the end of the draft.

Unfortunately Southee is already gone, though. (I also PM'd titan).

Awks. I searched for his name, must have spelled it wrongly.

OK. Back up plan.

Round 8, Pick 57 - Jackson Bird (Australia)

Need an Aussie anyway.

[H_T 2,941]

Ok, new update: -

Round One

pick 1 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) - Rogue

pick 2 - Michael Clarke (Aust) - thepassenger

pick 3 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 45HG16

pick 4 - David Warner (Aust) - Biffen

pick 5 - Hashim Amla (RSA) - Macca

pick 6 - Alistair Cook (England) - Tall Defence

pick 7 - Dale Steyn (RSA) - H_T

pick 8 - Rangana Herath (SL) - titan_uranus

Round Two

pick 9 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) - titan_uranus

pick 10 - AB de Villiers (RSA) - H_T

pick 11 - Morne Morkel (RSA) - Tall Defence

pick 12 - Saeed Ajmal (Pak) - Macca

pick 13 - Mahela Jayawardene - (SL) - Biffen

pick 14 - Vernon Philander (RSA) - 45HG16

pick 15 - Jimmy Anderson (Eng) - thepassenger

pick 16 - Graeme Swann (Eng) - Rogue

Round Three

pick 17 - Peter Siddle (Aust) - Rogue

pick 18 - MS Dhoni (Ind) - thepassenger

pick 19 - Kevin Pietersen (Eng) - 45HG16

pick 20 - James Pattinson (Aust) - Biffen

pick 21 - Matt Prior (Eng) - Macca

pick 22 - Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind) - Tall Defence

pick 23 - Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) - H_T

pick 24 - Steven Finn (Eng) - titan_uranus

Round Four

pick 25 - Mohammed Hafeez (Pak) - titan_uranus

pick 26 - Jonathan Trott (Eng) - H_T

pick 27 - Virender Sehwag (India) - Tall Defence

pick 28 - Graeme Smith (RSA) - Macca

pick 29 - Stuart Broad (Eng) - Biffen

pick 30 - Pragyan Ojha (Ind) - 45HG16

pick 31 - Ross Taylor (NZ) - thepassenger

pick 32 - Kemar Roach (WI) - Rogue

Round Five

pick 33 - Chris Gayle (WI) - Rogue

pick 34 - Darren Bravo (WI) - thepassenger

pick 35 - Azhar Ali (Pak) - 45HG16

pick 36 - Ishant Sharma (Ind) - Biffen

pick 37 - Daniel Vettori (NZ) - Macca

pick 38 - Younis Khan (Pak) - Tall Defence

pick 39 - Mitchell Starc (Aust) - H_T

pick 40 - Cheteshwar Pujara (Ind) - titan_uranus

Round Six

pick 41 - Alviro Petersen (RSA) - titan_uranus

pick 42 - Tillerkaratne Dilshan (SL) - H_T

pick 43 - Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) - Tall Defence

pick 44 - Shane Watson (Aus) - Macca

pick 45 - Brendan McCullum (NZ) - Biffen

pick 46 - Tim Southee (NZ) - 45HG16

pick 47 - Mitchell Johnson (Aust) - the passenger

pick 48 - Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) - Rogue

Round Seven

pick 49 - Chandimal (SL) - Rogue

pick 50 - Gautam Gambhir (Ind) - the passenger

pick 51 - Ben Hilfenhaus (Aust) - 45HG16

pick 52 - Asad Shafiq (Pak) - Biffen

pick 53 - Tim Bresnan (Eng) - Macca

pick 54 - Matthew Wade (Aust) - Tall Defence

pick 55 - Martin Guptill (NZ) - H_T

pick 56 - Ian Bell (Eng) - titan_uranus

Round Eight

pick 57 - Jackson Bird (Aust) - titan_uranus

pick 58 - Monty Panesar (Eng) - H_T

pick 59 - DJ Bravo (WI) - Tall Defence

pick 60 - T.Samaraweera (SL) - Macca

pick 61 - R.Sarwan (WI) - Biffen

pick 62 - (45HG)

pick 63 - (Django)

pick 64 - (Rogue)

Round Nine

pick 65 - (Rogue)

pick 66 - (Django)

pick 67 - (45HG)

pick 68 - (Biffen)

pick 69 - (Macca)

pick 70 - (Tall Defence)

pick 71 - (H_T)

pick 72 - (titan_uranus)

[H_T 2,941]

Round 8, pick 58 - Monty Panesar (Eng)

[MadAsHell 4,088]

The last 2 rounds could make for some interesting choices, Biff.

Comments such as "He hasn't played for years" or "Who's that?" or perhaps even "You can't have any more South Africans!"

Punter and Mr Cricket may be forced out of retirement. Warnie? :-)

Well I'll kick us off with the first of those type of selections Macca.

Round 8, Pick 59

Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/51439.html

While I note he hasn't played a test for 2 and a half years, that's been due to injury and IPL issues but he's now determined to get back as the below article (written January 4th) suggests. And I think we'd all agree that's he's clearly in their best XI ala the Ross Taylor discussion earlier on.

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/201457-dwayne-bravo-determined-to-get-back-into-windies-test-side

[Rogue 585]

I think we'd all agree that's he's clearly in their best XI ala the Ross Taylor discussion earlier on.

Fwiw, players don't need to be in a team's best XI.

[Macca 16,173]

Thilan Samaraweera (SL)

[Rogue 585]

Round 8, pick 58 - Monty Panesar (Eng)

Given Ashwin went at 22, I think Panesar at 58 is a good value get.

[H_T 2,941]

Given Ashwin went at 22, I think Panesar at 58 is a good value get.

Given two others may need a spinner, I couldn't overlook him at that pick. He's a very good back up and teammate for Swann. Agree in good value. His figures aren't that far off Swann's tbh.

Have a feeling he may have been one of Django's gems...

[titan_uranus 22,566]

Round 8, pick 58 - Monty Panesar (Eng)

Great pick up.

[H_T 2,941]

Great pick up.

So too for J.Bird, titan.

Nasher, if you're reading this I think he'll be a very good bowler for Australia for quite a while. Smooth action.

[Rogue 585]

Given two others may need a spinner, I couldn't overlook him at that pick. He's a very good back up and teammate for Swann. Agree in good value. His figures aren't that far off Swann's tbh.

I reckon there's a bit of a gap after the top few spinners in the world so it's one of those cases where if you don't spend an early pick you may as well wait. A bit like rucks in the AFL draft, IMO - go early or late.

On Panesar, he's probably improved a bit but it'd not be too surprising if his figures were reasonably comparable given that, as the second spinner, he's generally only selected if there are pitches particularly conducive to spin.

Nasher, if you're reading this I think he'll be a very good bowler for Australia for quite a while. Smooth action.

I agree.

[Scipio 5,868]

Given two others may need a spinner, I couldn't overlook him at that pick. He's a very good back up and teammate for Swann. Agree in good value. His figures aren't that far off Swann's tbh.Have a feeling he may have been one of Django's gems...

Damn, he was on the list.

[MadAsHell 4,088]

Given Ashwin went at 22, I think Panesar at 58 is a good value get.

I know Ashwin didn't have a great tour of Australia last sumemr but for a young spinner his stats are very good.

He's going at more then 5 wickets a match and with a batting average of 45 he'll be a very good player in time. Must have something to dislodge their previous number 1 off spinner. I wont name names....